The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have concluded plans to roll out a joint framework aimed at resolving consumer complaints arising from failed airtime and data transactions.
The initiative targets cases where subscribers are debited for airtime or data purchases without receiving value due to network downtimes, system glitches or human input errors.
Disclosing this in a statement, the Head, Public Affairs, NCC, Nnenna Ukoha, said the framework is the product of months of stakeholder engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and other industry players. The discussions were triggered by a surge in complaints over unsuccessful airtime and data purchases, which often left consumers waiting for refunds.
According to the regulators, the framework represents a unified position between the telecommunications and financial sectors and addresses the root causes of failed transactions. It also introduces an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of banks, MNOs and other stakeholders in transaction processing and dispute resolution.
Under the new arrangement, customers who are debited without receiving airtime or data—whether the failure occurs at the banking end or with an NCC-licensed operator—will be entitled to an automatic refund within 30 seconds. However, where a transaction is still pending, the refund period may extend to a maximum of 24 hours.
The framework further mandates service providers to notify consumers via SMS on the success or failure of every transaction. It also covers issues such as erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and transfers made to wrong phone numbers.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Freda Bruce-Bennett, disclosed that the framework provides for the establishment of a Central Monitoring Dashboard, to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN. She said the platform will enable real-time monitoring of transaction failures, responsible parties, refunds and Service Level Agreement breaches.
“Failed top-ups rank among the top three consumer complaints, and in line with our commitment to addressing these priority issues, we were determined to resolve it within the shortest possible time,” Bruce-Bennett said.
She expressed appreciation to all stakeholders, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria and its leadership, for their commitment to ensuring consumers receive full value for their purchases.
Bruce-Bennett also revealed that, pending final approval by the management of both regulators, Mobile Network Operators and banks have already refunded over ₦10 billion to customers for failed airtime and data transactions.
She added that full implementation of the framework is expected to commence on March 1, 2026, following final regulatory approvals and the completion of technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs.
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